Oval gold-mounted box, the cover, sides and base of interwoven vari-coloured ribbon agate, the cover and base each centred with tapering strips of agate in the shape of lichen set with carnelian, within chased gold mounts with floral gold thumbpiece, the interior lined with striated agate within polished gold mounts
3¹⁄₃ in. (85 mm.) wide

Hallstein Collection.
Sotheby's, London, 9 November 1964, lot 111.

A. Kugel, Gold, Jasper and Carnelian, Johann Christian Neuber at the Saxon Court, London, 2012, no. 60, ill. no. 60, p. 344.

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Lot Essay

This box decorated with geometric and basket weave patterns inspired from French marquetry work is amongst the earlier examples of Neuber's work with the first boxes in this style dating from 1760-1770. Although seemingly simple, this particular box required four types of striated agates arranged to simulate a basket weave without the support of a gold framework, and are set on a base of stone making it a unique example in the corpus of recorded boxes.

Johann Christian Neuber is considered to be one of the most important masters of the Neoclassical style and is remembered especially for his hardstone-inlaid pieces which proved a success in his lifetime with the enlightened aristocracy, combining scientific curiosity, craftsmanship and beauty.

After an apprenticeship with Johann Friedrich Trechaon, a goldsmith of Swedish origin from 1752, Neuber became a master goldsmith and burger of Dresden in 1762. Five years later he was named a court artisan to Friedrich Augustus III (1750-1827), Elector of Saxony and sometime before 1775, he was appointed the Elector's court jeweller.
Educated in hardstones by Heinrich Taddel, his father-in-law and the director of the Grünes Gewölbe whom he succeeded in 1769, Neuber saw the artistic and commercial potential of using the many native stones of Saxony in his work.
Neuber perfected the local tradition of working with stones by developing the technique known as Zellenmosaic [cloisonné mosaic] with invisible seamlines which corresponded to the emerging interest in mineralogy in elite and aristocratic circles. Neuber advertised a wide range of small objects made from inlaid hardstones called Galantariewaren (useful but precious objects) including boxes for ladies and gentlemen, cane handles, watch cases, chatelaines, and jewellery such as bracelets and rings which accounted for the majority of his production.

His distinctive style was eventually counter-productive with a novelty-seeking public and by the end of the 1780s, his over-extended enterprise started to suffer severe financial problems. Despite holding a lottery in 1788 and other fundraising measures, business failure finally led Neuber to retire in 1805 to the house of his son Christian Adolf in Eibenstock where he died on 2 April 1808.